GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2033, 30 August 1880, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Satueday, August 28. The Council met at 11 a.m. In answer to the Hon. W. H. Beynolds, The Hon. F. Whitakbb said that the system of storm warnings would be continued practically tho same as hitherto. The Governor sent a message saying that he had reserved the Deceased Wifo’s Sister Marriage Bill for the signification of the Queen’s pleasure. The Financial Arrangements Bill, Public Bevenues Bill, Customs Tariff Bill, Wellington Harbor Board and Corporations Land Bill, and Lodgers Goods Protection Bill passed all their stages. Attempts were made to throw out the two first by the Hons. Boynolds and Whitmore respectively, but the Bills were affirmed.

The Council adjourned from 1.15 till 4 o’clock, when the Public Works Bill and Hokitika Harbor Loan Bill were passed through all their stages, the drainage clauses in the former measure being struck out. The Council adjourned at 5.30 till 2.30 on Monday. HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES. Saturday, August 28. The House met at 7 30. THE MEMBER POE THE DUNSTAN. Mr Montgomery applied that the member for the I) unetan should be heard in further explanation. The application was agreed to, and the Sergeant-at-Arms wag instructed to bring in Mr Pyke. Mr Shephard moved—“ That strangers be excluded.”

The motion being objected to was withdrawn.

Mr Pyke was then brought in by the Sergcant-at-Arms and took his seat. The Speaker—Mr Pyke, the House gives you another opportunity to explain your conduct while in Committee of the House this morning. Do you desire to avail yourself of it ?

Mr Pyke—Mr Speaker, the explanation I have to make is this: —whenever I heard myself desired by the direction of the acting chairman to sit down I did so. At the time hon. members on all sides of me were shouting out, “Sit down,” "Sit down.” The remark I made, that I would not sit down, was addressed by me to those members, and not to the chairman, and I beg also to add that I intended no disrespect to either the committee or the chairman. I beg also to state that certain language imputed by the papers to the Sergeaut-at-Arms when he visited me in the gallery is erroneous. That officer did his duty without using any improper or disrespectful language. The Speaker then put the question that Mr Pyke’s explanation be accepted. A response being made in the affirmative, Mr Pske said that he regretted that he had inadvertently been the cause of the disturbance." The Hon. J. Hard asked leave to withdraw the motion censuring Mr Pyke, which was granted. Mr Tore then withdrew his amendment. The Speaker said that he wished it to be clearly understood that the House had ample power to punish refractory members, and although in this case the power had not been exercised the present case was not to be taken as a precedent. Mr Mooehotjbb corroborated what Mr Pyke said re the language said to have been used by the Sergeant-at-Arms when he took Mr Pyke into custody in the Press gallery. He added that at the time he was in a position to hear what passed.

COMMITTEE. The House then went into committee on the supplementary estimates. Class 3 £22,000. Mr Saukders said that if the railway workshops were to be kept on, the propriety of which he doubted, waggons ought to be made in these shops. The Government kept a large number of men as a stand by, and by adding this as a department to these shops it might be the means of keeping them fully employed. Ho hoped that the Government would take under their protection the witnesses who gave straightforward manly evidence to the Civil Service Commissioners. They had already seen that the South Island Commissioner had recommended some of those men to be removed, out of the way, and there was only too much reason to suppose that if these recommendations were given effect to, not one honest man would be left on the South Island railways. He therefore hoped that the Government would protest their witnesses from the persecution and injustice to which their evidence given before the Commissioners was liable to subject them. That appeal was the more ,necessary, seeing that the recommendations of the Commissioners had not been carried out. The Hon. B. Oliveb said that ho would give the House the assurance that no Civil

servant would suffer in consequence of the evidence he might have given before that Commission.

The Hon, B. Bichaedson was glad of the assurance just given. He had only that day received telegrams from two of these witnesses to the effect that they wore being subjected to much persecution on account of the evidence they had given. The item was agreed to. Item—Provision for unemployed,£7s,ooo. The Hon. R. Olivee explained that he intended to disperse these labor gangs over the colony at such works as might be most convenient.

Mr Macandeew objected to the Government having a sum of money like this to spend without a definite understanding as to the works upon which it was to be expended. Mr Adame moved that the vote bo reduced £20,000.

The Hon, J. Halt, said that a heavy responsibility would rest on members if they refused Government the power to spend this money if it was required. Not one shilling of it would be spent unless it was absolutely necessary. Government had not yet time to say where the unemployed could bo most advantageously employed. The vote was passed as printed. The remainder of the supplementary estimates were passed, and on the motion for the adoption of the report, Sir G. Obey asked leave to move a motion to the effect that the proclamation over the Patotere block of land should not bo removed during the recess, nor till the conditions of removal had been first submitted for approval to the House. Leave being refused, the motion for the adoption of the report was eorried. MISCELLANEOUS. A message was received from the Governor announcing that the Deceased Wife’s Sister Marriage Bill had been reserved for the assent of Her Majesty. The Property Assessment Amendment Bill (No. 2), providing only for a simplified schedule, was introduced, and passed through all its stages. The Council’s amendments in the Public Works Bill, Hokitika Harbor Loan Bill,Otago Harbor Board Bill and other Bills were agreed to, and the House at 11.40 adjourned till 11 a.m. on Monday.